Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

August 18, 2008

A leading Thai newspaper takes the government of Thailand to task for basing a video game crackdown on the recent murder of a cabbie by an alleged Grand Theft Auto player.

An editorial in today's Bangkok Post is unsparing in its criticism of the official response to Polwat Chinno's claim that GTA prompting his stabbing of 54-year-old victim.

Far from showing concern, this [government] reaction [to the murder] emphasised the huge gap between the real technology revolution and what the country's leaders appear to know about it. 

 

First of all, it is most troubling that authorities and the media latched on so quickly and conveniently to the alibi of a confessed, vicious killer... He is an adult who told police he planned and carried out a reprehensible killing for a small amount of money. His claim that the video game Grand Theft Auto made him commit the crime sounds more like a novel legal defence than a credible motive. Tens of millions of people around the world play that game - tens of thousands in Bangkok...

The Post also outs the Thai government's laughable list of Top 10 Violent Games, a story broken here on GamePolitics (see: Thailand's 10 Violent Games to Avoid List Stolen From Detroit):

The Public Health Ministry quickly assembled a list of Top 10 Violent Games - not by research or reason, but by a quick Googling in which bureaucrats accepted the first hit, an obscure list from a local US politician trying successfully to get his name in the newspapers and his face on the TV news in an election cycle. 

 

Such a ban is also self-defeating, since new games come on the market regularly. In any case, a police ban is only another business hitch to the video pirates and shop owners involved in underground distribution...

 

The problem is most parents and few politicians have a clue about such things. Many are technologically illiterate...

Comments

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

And in other news today: The editors and authors of the Bangkok post mysteriously disappear...

Your soul is a tasty refreshing treat to ones such as I

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

In other words, the Bangkok Post says: "Thailaaaaaand. You got some 'splainin' to dooooo!"

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

Insane JT post about how the Bangkok Post is wrong in 3.....2......1.....

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

Gee, I wonder how he is going to spin this one. Seeing that the Bangkok Post is from Thailand as well. It's no longer going to be "only anyone with authority is right", now just "only THIS authority is right"...and the soon further pare it down to "only THIS member in the body of government is right"

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

Good for him. :) I'm glad someone is speaking out against this.

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

Can we bump these guys to the front of the line for getting a green card?  I don't see good things happening in their future after an article like that...  Unless this article was online, then the government prolly wont be able to find it.  Best of luck to the people at the Bangkok Post.

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

Good to see some actual journalism for once. If these games are really as damaging as people like Jack Thompson seem to think, then the whole world would be in complete anarchy right now. There are literally millions (if not billions) of gamers in the world, it's just the few people who were crazy to begin with who are ruining things for the rest of us.

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

Wow.  I am genuinely impressed by that article.

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

I want that newspaper. Seems like actual intelligent thought is written in it.

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

It's generally a fairly well-written and progressive "paper", although many of the articles may leave you wanting more in-depth info.  You can catch it online at http://www.bangkokpost.com.  However, most (read "all but this article and maybe one or two others") of the content has nothing to do with video games, and rather concerns issues pertinent to expats living in Thailand, so it may not really interest you.

It's an interesting window into the foreign view of the US though.  Usually a good read.

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

In this newspaper's technology section, Post Database, Nectec director Pansak Siriruchatapong suggested the government establish and fund an independent think tank, able to provide the country with information and recommendations on future developments. Weaker people, he said, can become so immersed in games they lose track of reality. Like many, Dr Pansak opposes outright censorship. That does not rule out regulation, however. Many countries have a ratings system of games. For example, Grand Theft Auto boxes and wrappers all carry a large, black M-for-mature. 

QFT

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

>an obscure list from a local US politician trying successfully to get his name in the newspapers and his face on the TV news in an election cycle.<
 

>get his name...and his face<

>his<

The politician was a female, Kym Worthy...

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

Oh well played my good Anonymous.

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

In all fairness if there wasn't a picture with what they were looking at it could be hard to tell. I'm no expert on their culture but that could easily be a unisex type name over there. (Iiiiit's Pat!)

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

Yah, Kym/ Kim is a gender neutral name in Asia.

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

You see, Fox News?  Google is frickin' easy to use.

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

Woah

Intelligent life!?

Beam me down Scotty, beam me down!

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

Well that was outta nowhere.

Finally, some good journalism!

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

very nice sites.good.

Basically, the way things are going. Will be ankara nakliyat nice too bee ankara evden eve nakliyat bu sekildeki yerle evden eve nakliyat yapmaları icin evden eve nakliyat sizlerde bu tip çalışma yapmak isterseniz ankara nakliyat başvurabilirsniz. Saç ekimi olması gereken lazer epilasyon ve bububn yanısıra merkezde burun estetiği olmak yanıbasında saç ekimi olması gereken sizlerde saç ekimi  saç ekimi merkezleri ankara evden eve yapmakla beraber.Tüp bebek merkezleri olmakla beraber ...

very nice sites.good.

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game Crackdown

Nintendo is indeed selling SOME of these on the Virtual Console but not even close to all of them. While i agree in part to his piracy he was filling a market that Nintendo failed to recognize. Maybe someone doesnt want to buy a Wii. maybe they just want a console with 50 - 100 NES games on them?? maybe just maybe?

but no Nintendo wants everyone araba kiralama to buy the Wii. thats their excuse but thats not what copyright is supposed to protect. i am real sure that the makers of 10 yard fight were losing sleep because they were missing out on their $0.00025 worth because they didnt get royalties from this player. *smirk*

my question is, should Super Mario Bros. be banned from public domain forever? isnt 23 years enough time for Nintendo to have made their profits?

If you have followed the Steamboat Willie case regarding Mickey Mouse you can rest in your bed well at night knowing that the MOUSE will still be under copyright law, away from public domain after your great grandchildren are in nursing homes. That is beyond ridiculous dont you think??

Gallagher can araç kiralama say all he wants, but I strongly rent a car believe it's due to his crappy leadership and E3 being a joke. ESA's Board of Directors need to find a way to get out rent a car of this horrid contract with this Bush cronie before there's no one left on the Board.

Btw, I think Atari and Midway will drop out too, but mostly travesti because  these guys have done nothing ttnet vitamin or little and need to start saving costs.

YES.

Now I don't have to get off my ass for the important shit anymore!

Whats next, ordering pizza from Xbox live?

Wait... I think that sounds like a good idea.

But I think voting should MAKE you get off your ass, and see outside or a second while you go vote. I mean, your picking the president of the United States of America for God's Sake... least you can do is drive down there and punch out a card.

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game ...

Thanks good job;

Btw, I think Atari and Midway will drop out too, but mostly travesti because  these guys have done nothing travesti or little and need to start saving costs. and dizi izle

YES.

Now I don't have to get off my ass for the important shit anymore!

Whats next, ordering pizza from Xbox live?

Wait... I think that sounds like a good idea.

But I think voting should MAKE you get off your ass, and see outside or a second while you go vote. I mean, your picking the president of the United States of America for God's Sake... least you can do is drive down there and punch out a card.

Re: Bangkok Post Slams Thai Government's Video Game ...

koçluk But I think voting should MAKE you get off your ass, and see outside or a second while you go vote. I mean, your picking the president of the United States of America for God's Sake... least you can do is drive down there and punch out a card. tabldot yemek  estetik

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beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
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JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
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Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
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JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
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